Down These Mean Streets

Amazon.com

The 30th anniversary edition of this classic memoir about growing up in Spanish Harlem includes an afterword reminding us that its streets are even meaner now, thanks to crack cocaine and the dismantling of government poverty programs. As a dark-skinned Puerto Rican, born in 1928, Piri Thomas faced with painful immediacy the absurd contradictions of America's racial attitudes (among people of all colors) in a time of wrenching social change. Three decades have not dimmed the luster of his jazzy prose, rich in Hispanic rhythms and beat-generation slang.

Book Description

Thirty years ago Piri Thomas made literary history with this lacerating, lyrical memoir of his coming of age on the streets of Spanish Harlem. Here was the testament of a born outsider: a Puerto Rican in English-speaking America; a dark-skinned morenito in a family that refused to acknowledge its African blood. Here was an unsparing document of Thomas's plunge into the deadly consolations of drugs, street fighting, and armed robbery--a descent that ended when the twenty-two-year-old Piri was sent to prison for shooting a cop.

As he recounts the journey that took him from adolescence in El Barrio to a lock-up in Sing Sing to the freedom that comes of self-acceptance, faith, and inner confidence, Piri Thomas gives us a book that is as exultant as it is harrowing and whose every page bears the irrepressible rhythm of its author's voice. Thirty years after its first appearance, this classic of manhood, marginalization, survival, and transcendence is available in an anniversary edition with a new Introduction by the author.

Customer Reviews:

Forever a classic.......2007-08-12

Down These Mean Streets is the story of Piri Thomas' journey into adulthood. The book is set in Spanish Harlem in the 1940s. The author's writing style is refreshing and lyrical. He uses some Spanish words here and there(readers might find the glossary in the back of the book helpful), and kicks in a few slang words as well, which makes the dialogs that much more genuine.

Piri struggles through poverty, family troubles, and desperately wanting to belong. He fights with being a dark skinned Puerto Rican during a time when racism was strong, and trying to find his place as neither black nor white. Piri did some not-so-good things in his life, being in a gang, drug addiction, and armed robbery among other things, but throughout it all it is easy to tell that Piri is a good guy at heart.

Overall, this is a captivating story. You might find yourself wondering what you would have done faced with the same situations. I even found myself rooting for Piri at times. This book is still a very accurate depiction of "the hoods" of New York, despite being published for the first time about 40 years ago.

I was sad to have to finish the book, and in the end I felt like I knew Piri. I look forward to re-reading this book over the years. It is truly a classic. Everyone should read it. Anyone can find something in the story that they will be able to relate to.

an exciting nonfiction book!.......2007-06-28

This book really told me what it was like to live in Harlem in the 40s. The discrimination and racism is real and raw (although Mr Thomas does get a little jaded and think all white people are bad). The way he describes coming off heroin is realistic, colorful, and explosive. This whole book is very alive, as a memoir. It was funny to see the slang they used back then!

One of the best memoirs ever written.......2007-05-10

I've read this book more than a few times and have taught it to different level readers a few extra times. There was one high school student who came to me after the book was done and told me, "This is the first book I ever finished." Even if it's not the first book you've read, you'll find writing that is fearless, honest, and powerful. You won't forget it, and if you're really lucky, you'll get to share it with someone else.

I will always love this book.......2006-12-28

Grabbed it off my english teachers shelf junior year of high school, loved it so much I never gave it back. This is an amazingly wonderful book. Vivid writing style...I could see every last detail in my head. It was like a movie in my brain. Love it.

We recommend this book.......2006-12-07

Book Review: Down These Mean Streets

We recommend this book because Piri Thomas wrote the book in a way that you can visualize the story. This book is interesting because it talks about a young Latino's life growing up in the streets of Harlem New York in the 30's. However Piri the main character in the story gets discriminated throughout his young life for being a black Puerto Rican. We think this book has some strong scenes suitable for children under 13. Little by little the story gets interesting to the point where you don't want to stop reading. To conclude, this story is a good autobiography to learn from

Down These Mean Streets (Spider-Man (Pocket Star))

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Could have been better
A good actioner
Your Friendly Neighberhood Spiderman
Finally!
I regret reading this book

Down These Mean Streets (Spider-Man (Pocket Star))
Keith R. A. DeCandido
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1416509682

Book Description

A brand-new designer drug arrives in New York City with the force of a hurricane: Triple X, a potentially lethal combination of ecstasy and gamma radiation that is literally turning users from the shadowy, dank alleys to the glittering, raucous party circuit into living, rampaging nightmares. For high school science teacher Peter Parker, Triple X's onslaught on some of his students and his wife's professional life is as dangerous as it is unexpected. For Peter's secret alter-ego, the costumed crime-fighter known to the world as Spider-Man, the situation quickly accelerates from bad to worse, as the drug's effects run unchecked against law enforcement's and his own valiant efforts to rein in the city-wide chaos. But there is a growing consensus between Spider-Man and the police that, for reasons yet unknown, one of the arachnid's most fearsome enemies may be behind it all as part of a greater scheme to bring the city -- and one of its most heroic and hated defenders -- to its knees at long last...

Customer Reviews:

Could have been better.......2007-10-04

I am a huge Spider-Man fan. I know pretty much all there is to know about the wall crawler. I had just finished reading "Spider-Man: The Darkest hours" and was impressed. It was a great book. I decided that I would keep on the streak and move to this book.

"Down these Mean Streets" was a disapointment to me. The plot itself was very good, but the exacution was lacking. I encountered several spelling grammar errors which were not caught by the editor. There were also a few parts that were worded funny.

All in all I'm giving it a 2/5. Like I said, good plot, but the writing in and of itself was lacking.

A good actioner.......2006-07-25

Triple X,a potent combination of Ecstasy and gamma radiation,is
turning people into Hulkish monsters.Now it's up to Spiderman to stop them and find out who's responsible.This is a well-done,
fast-paced thriller that works up quite a head of suspense.It also has a surprising dark adult tone and some rough but very
appropriate language.I like how DeCandido also lightens things
at times with some of Spidey's trademark zingers.He also creates very believable characters.All in all,this is a very
satisfying read.

Your Friendly Neighberhood Spiderman.......2006-04-25

When a mysterious drug starts spreading across NYC turning people into gamma sized Hulks, it's up to Spidey to figure out the why's and how's. That's pretty much the story in a nutshell. It's an entertaining story throughout but some places where it stops short.

In general, I'm a fan of Spidey and I was glad to see him back in a full length novel and when I heard it was being written by Keith De Candido, I was even happier. For those who don't follow Star Trek, De Candido has written many Trek bestselers and is one of the more poular authors in that line.
There were times in the book where there's some cursing and reading it, surprised me if only because it's not something you see in his Trek books (at least I haven't).

His writing style here is similiar to his style in other pieces of his novels. The chapters aren't as long as usual but it does go at a fast pace with the story beginning right away. It is a qucik read (less then 300 pages), wheras most of his other stuff is more then that. There were times in the story where I thought The Incrediable Hulk himself would make a cameo but the only one we get is from Doc Ock but that pretty much was, IMO, a cop out only cause the author knew he had to end it at some point and he did so rather quickly.

The good thing about it is no one will suspect who the main culprit is pretty much until the end when all the clues are solved. In fact, the book plays like a mystery novel more then a sci fi (though why Spiderman is considered Sci Fi is beyond me).

All in all, if you like Spiderman, you'll like this book. If you don't like Spiderman but like De Candido's work. you'll probalby like this.

Finally!.......2006-03-15

After being disappointed with a couple of the DC Comics novels of late, I decided to give one of the Marvel versions a try. And I'm glad that I did!

While "Green Lantern: Hero's Quest" and "Superman: The Never-Ending Battle" were both fairly bland, this novel was quite refreshing. For one thing, it was clearly written with a mature audience in mind. That does NOT mean that there is endless swearing (there is some) or unnecessary sex scenes (none), but that the theme and tone are geared toward a thoughtful audience.

This is a drug novel. It might be a science-fiction drug with science-fiction side effects, but it is a drug story nonetheless. Young people die from this drug. And both Spider-Man and the police have to use their wits for detective work just as much as for battle scenes.

As far as I know, I have never read any of Keith R. A. DeCandido's work before, but I would love it if he were to write more of these types of super hero novels. In fact, if this series of books maintains such a mature feel, I would love to see Dean R. Koontz or Christopher Andrews take a crack at one.

My ONLY complaint, the only reason I am not giving this novel 5 stars, is because of the ending. While my favorite elements were the down to earth, realistic issues, when it eventually became evident that a popular Spider-Man super villain was behind it all, THEN I was ready for a climactic battle. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The final fights, of which there were two, were handled very briefly, adding up to only a few pages the first time, and over in essentially one page the second time. A bit disappointing. I wish the author had taken just one more chapter to play up those elements. But ...

Overall, I was very pleased. This book was very refreshing after DC's let downs. Thanks to this novel, I am now looking forward to Christopher Andrews' "Paranormals," which is apparently ALSO a super human story (though not from DC or Marvel). I'll be reviewing that one next!

I regret reading this book.......2006-01-09

If you're a fan of superhero fiction, you'll probably like the first four-fifths of this book. It's well written, the characters ring true, and the story sticks to the Spidey universe.

The ending, though, is almost like the writer got tired of the whole thing and just wrote a quick ending so he could be done with it.

It is only in this last small part that you find out Doc Ock is the villain. There's a kind of lame connection between Doc Ock and this designer drug which is the main source of the conflict, and the characterization of Ock makes him out to be a kind of tight-assed sissy.

Worse, there's a bogus final scene where the Doc is taken into custody -- by ordinary cops, no less -- that you'll probably hate. Sadly, the epilog is better reading than the main story ending.

It's not often that I really, really wish I'd found a better use for my time than reading a book, but this was one of them.

Down these mean streets a man must go;: Raymond Chandler's knight

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Down these mean streets a man must go;: Raymond Chandler's knight
Philip Durham
Manufacturer: University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Spider-Man: Down These Mean Streets
Keith deCandido
Manufacturer: Pocket Star Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739456873

Looking for a City in America: Down These Mean Streets a Man Must Go : An Essay (Angel's Flight, Occasional Papers from Los Angeles, No 1)

Average customer rating:

inspiring
Amazing raw photography of Los Angeles

Looking for a City in America: Down These Mean Streets a Man Must Go : An Essay (Angel's Flight, Occasional Papers from Los Angeles, No 1)
Andre Corboz
Manufacturer: David R Godine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Product Description

A postmodern meditation on the contemporary urban space, with sixty-four pages of beautiful black-and-white photographs.

Customer Reviews:

inspiring.......2000-07-29

I agree with the earlier reviewer; the photos are magical re-takes on the banality of LA. They are worth the price of the book on their own. However, the essay also merits careful reading. Corboz takes traditional complaints about American cities to task. His views are neither conservative nor radical, they are merely thought-provoking, which is afterall the aim of a well-done essay.

Amazing raw photography of Los Angeles.......1999-12-08

Keeley takes the beautiful, real images of a true voyuer of the city and makes them very accessable to all of us. As an L.A. native, I saw new views of my city as never before. The essay didn't hold my interest as much, overshadowed by the great hpotography.

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Down These Mean Streets
Piri Thomas
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KAGV4O

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Down These Mean Streets
PIRI THOMAS
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SII6H8

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Down These Mean Streets
Piri Thomas
Manufacturer: Signet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000P1F6HG

DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS a Stunning Autobiography of Corruption and Innocence

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DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS a Stunning Autobiography of Corruption and Innocence
PIRI THOMAS
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JZIXPK

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Down These Mean Streets a Man Must go: Raymond Chandler's Knight
Philip Durham
Manufacturer: Chapel Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I32F2A

Amazon.com

Newport, Rhode Island: a world of old money, old names, and sinister secrets. Maggie Holloway, a fashion photographer, goes to visit an old friend -- but when she arrives, the friend is dead, the victim of a violent robbery. Maggie is stunned when she learns that she's the beneficiary of the will -- and even more stunned when she recognizes a pattern of murder in Newport society that will lead the killer straight to her.

Book Description

At a party in Manhattan, Maggie Holloway -- one of the fashion world's most successful photographers -- is thrilled to be reunited with her beloved stepmother. A widow now, Nuala Moore is equally delighted to see her long-lost stepdaughter, and invites Maggie to spend a few weeks at her home in Newport, Rhode Island.

But when Maggie arrives, she finds Nuala murdered, apparently by a burglar. Heartbroken, Maggie is stunned to learn she had inherited Nuala's stunning Victorian home...and horrified when she begins to suspect that Nuala's death was not random, but part of a diabolical plot conceived by a twisted mind. When Nuala's dear old friend, Greta Shipley, does suddenly of supoosedly natural causes, Maggie is convinced that there is a link between these two and other recent deaths among the older women of Newport. What she doesn't realize is that she has now become a target for the killer as well, and that each clue she uncovers brings her closer to an unimaginable fate. In her most chillingly suspenseful novel yet, the Queen of Suspense delivers a tale of brilliantly sustained terror, woven with the skill and insight into human nature that have made all of Mary Higgins Clark's books major bestsellers.

Download Description

Set in Newport, Rhode Island, in a world of old money and proud names, Moonlight Becomes You has at its center Maggie Holloway, an independent young woman who has put personal tragedy behind her and become one of the fashion world's most successful photographers. Accompanying her date to a party in Manhattan - a kind of family reunion for the Moore clan of Newport - Maggie is reunited with a woman who had once been her stepmother and who remains one of her fondest childhood memories. Nuala, now widowed, invites Maggie to visit her in Newport, and when Maggie readily accepts, Nuala plans a dinner for a group of friends so they can meet her long-lost stepdaughter. But when Maggie arrives, she finds Nuala dead, the victim of an apparently random break-in and robbery. Maggie is heartbroken at the loss and further stunned when she learns that, only days before her death, Nuala had changed her will and left her charming Victorian house to her stepdaughter, the only proviso being that Maggie occasionally visit an old friend, Greta Shipley, who lives in Latham Manor, an elegant retirement home in Newport. It is when she accompanies Mrs. Shipley to the cemetery to visit Nuala's grave, as well as those of other friends Mrs. Shipley has recently lost, that Maggie discovers that something is wrong. Using her skills as a photographer to aid her in uncovering the secrets hidden on the gravesites, she soon realizes that Nuala's death may not have been a random killing at all but rather part of a diabolical plot conceived by a twisted and unfeeling mind.

Customer Reviews:

Great as ever.......2007-03-08

Enjoyed this book. She is an excellent writer and did not read a book I did not like. She is up to standard on this book also.

Moonlight Becomes You.......2006-03-18

Moonlight Becomes You is full of high suspense, spooky highlights and romance. Just what you would expect from the Queen of Suspense.
This is one of Mary Higgins Clark's top thrillers I've read in a while, and I have read almost all of her books.
You will not be disappointed in the twist and turns in this book nor the outcome. In fact, the only time you will be disapointed is when you finish the book.

Moonlight Becomes You.......2005-04-29

Moonlight Becomes You is a very good book. I didn't think i would like it but the more i read the book the more i liked it and the more interested i became in the book. As a guy i thought the book would get boring but it never did. Mary Higgins Clark was very descriptive and made everything really clear and you knew what you were reading. I would recomend people reading this book.

pretty good.......2005-04-15

the ending did surprise me. thought it was pretty good. typical MHC.

Moonlight Becomes You.......2004-12-30

Mary Higgins Clark is the "Queen of Suspense". Moonlight Becomes You is her twelfth novel. Maggie Holloway, one of the most successful photographers in New York, meets her former stepmother, Nuala, in a cocktail party. Nuala lives in New Port, Rhode Island, which is an hour away from New York. After a week, she invites a group of friends and Maggie to introduce her long-lost stepdaughter. When Maggie arrives at Nuala's house, she finds that Nuala is killed and the house has been ransacked. The next day, she is amazed that Nuala has left a fancy Victorian house to her. The conflict among the characters begins with Nuala's death and the house. Although Nuala has been murdered in that house, Maggie decides to stay there for two weeks as she planned at first. Malcom tries to persuade Maggie to sell her house again and again. She delays to respond because she thinks there was a reason that Nuala changed her mind and refused to sell. She goes to Latham Manor to see Nuala's best friend, Greta. While they are going to the cemetery to visit Nuala, Greta tells Maggie the memories about Nuala. At the cemetery, using her skills as photographer, she takes many pictures of graves. Then, Maggie discovers something is wrong. Several bells were there, including Nuala's. Soon, Greta dies with a sudden heart attack. In a week, three women die suddenly: Nuala, Greta, and Mrs. Rhinelander who dies a few days before Nuala. These consecutive deaths make Maggie to feel weird and strange. She doesn't realize that she has become a target for the killer as well, and that each clue she uncovers brings her closer and closer to shocking and unimaginable fate. Mary Higgins Clark did much research to write this book. She set up the story line based on some historical facts. In the Victorian Age, there was a unique funeral custom. If there was a person whose death was judged as sudden, people put a string on his or her finger when buried. The string was connected to a bell outside the grave. The reason why they did this was to avoid suffocating a person who had been accidentally buried alive. When a person awoke in the coffin, he or she could ring the bell by tugging the string. It notified a grave keeper, and he would dig up the grave. Then the person could come out. It's incredible, but it happened on occasion. In fact, Moonlight Becomes You was little bit hard to turn the pages to me at first, though. It is still worth trying this book. Most mystery books I read use wise men to lead the story. However, Mary Higgins Clark uses a clever and dedicated woman to solve the mystery. And as you close to the last page, Mary Higgins Clark won't let you down.

6 Titles By Mary Higgins Clark - You Belong to Me - We'll Meet Again - Where Are the Children - While My Pretty Ones Sleep - Moonlight Becomes You - Weep No More, My Lady

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6 Titles By Mary Higgins Clark - You Belong to Me - We'll Meet Again - Where Are the Children - While My Pretty Ones Sleep - Moonlight Becomes You - Weep No More, My Lady
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KDSB8U

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6 mass market paperbacks By Mary Higgins Clark - You Belong to Me - We'll Meet Again - Where Are the Children - While My Pretty Ones Sleep - Moonlight Becomes You - Weep No More, My Lady

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MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU
HIGGINS CLARK MARY
Manufacturer: POCKET BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PGIK2O

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Moonlight Becomes You
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HKQFTI

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Moonlight Becomes You
Bing Crosby
Manufacturer: Charly records
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000K054J2

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Moonlight Becomes You
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster Audioworks #57058-7
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000R16WI6

"Moonlight Becomes You", "The Outsider", "Harvest", "The Falconer" (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Volume 228 (Volume 6, 1996))

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"Moonlight Becomes You", "The Outsider", "Harvest", "The Falconer" (Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Volume 228 (Volume 6, 1996))

Manufacturer: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000B9G88I

Product Description

Reader's Digest Condensed Books, Volume 6, 1996 # 228, featuring "Moonlight Becomes You","The Outsider","Harvest", and "The Falconer"

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Moonlight Becomes You,(large Print)
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WNM0NA

Moonlight Becomes You: A Crime for Summer Anthology (Crimes for Summer , No 6)

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Moonlight Becomes You: A Crime for Summer Anthology (Crimes for Summer , No 6)

Manufacturer: Allen & Unwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1863739963

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MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU; ROAD TO MOROCCO
Johnny Burke
Manufacturer: Famous Music Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Sheet music
ASIN: B000HUFRT2

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